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Friday, December 19, 2008

the lost hours

I meant to post yesterday, all about how great Bumblebee looked for his end-of-year disco. The theme was famous characters, and he chose, of course, Dr Who, David Tennant style:

Without glasses, and with brand-new sonic screwdriver, bought by me.

With glasses; it's a wee bit fuzzy, but the one in which he looks the most authentic, I think.

I meant to post about Bernice's car trying desperately to break down as she gave us a lift to the school (BB having taken the car for another purpose), the same car we gave her last year with the express warning that it is a cute moneypit. Well, it is dead now, and we all mourn.

I meant to post about going to my doctor, and that fact that there I was, on me back, legs akimbo (even though my dictionary tells me it can only be done with the arms, but that's how it felt), him with a torch, and he says 'this is your 6-week check-up, is it not?' and I replied 'no, it's been about 4 and a half weeks' to which he replied 'really? You're healing very well, then!' Huzzar! I can swim in a couple of weeks. I knew that bikini was a good idea.

I meant to post that I didn't get the Melbourne residency I was hoping for next year. It was only a little one, but it would have been fun to do some work away from Canberra and catch up with the interesting people I know in Melbourne, which is SUCH a print-and-book city.

I meant to post that I have found a lovely bookkeeper who seems able to sort me out, even though I don't know if she knows what she's getting into...

I meant to do all these things, but then in the last-minute haste to get my papers together for the Nice Bookkeeper, I discovered that my mobile phone contract had expired, and I decided to drop into the Mall and see what I could see.

An hour later, I came out clutching an iPhone 3G, dizzy with excitement and fear. I got home, fell onto the computer to do some research (that I probably should have done before I bought the thing) and started playing. Next thing I knew, the boys had arrived home and it was dinner time. Holy data packages, Batgirl!

It's a thing of beauty, and means that I should be able to blog and email from anywhere, including the Woodford Folk Festival (no more waiting in line for 30 minutes at a crap PC!), and it solves the problem of whether I should or should not get a computer for my studio. No! It shall be a computer-work-free zone, but I can still order things and check things when there! Double hooray!

I would be grateful for any important tips & tricks about the phone that anyone has. I've run across a few really good ones (like the fact that unless you switch it off, it has a setting that tracks the location of each photo you take, and chomps up the download accordingly).

The next two days are, effectively, Christmas for us (sans any tinsel or trees). Colonel and Lady Duck are hitting town for presents and a nice lunch at a restaurant with us tomorrow, and then on Sunday we start the trek northwards to Brisbane and Woodford. I'll either be out of touch or blogging a lot, depending on how bored I get :)

16 comments:

Oooh. iPhone envy. is the plan relly expensive? but blogging from anywhere is good. Bumblebee looks great in those pics. I was coincidentally looking for a bikini top when you posted about your orange number, so I have bikini envy too. I can't find one that fits my crazy boobs...

- It's worth investing in one of those sticky touch screen protective films. I didn't and I have many little scritchy scratches on my screen to show for it.

- If you do Facebook, the (free!) Facebook app is soooooooo great.

The other apps I love are really just things that turn your US$200 phone into a US$5 toy. - More cowbell (it is simply a cowbell that clangs when you shake the phone)- Ocarina. This one isn't free, but it's the best $1 I've ever spent, just for the reactions I get when I start blowing into my iPhone and playing it like an ocarina.

Do take advantage of wifi. I only just set up wifi here at home and as well as saving me my download quota it's a lot quicker -- plus you can use iTunes. I can download a whole 30meg podcast straight onto my phone in a couple of minutes on wifi. Of course, I never get around to listening to them, but I impress myself nontheless.

Second the need for protection. I bought a leather case for $20 from Paddys Markets and it is indispensible.

When taking photos, the trick is to hold down the button and release it when you want the snap. Usually you press to take the photo, but on the iPhone it takes it when its released.

Catch of the Day has rechargable battery dongles for $39 at the moment. Good if you are going to the sticks and can't get to an outlet to power it. It chews through battery life, but it will improve after a few cycles.

Sad to hear we will miss out on you in Melbourne but the new yuppy toy is worthy of a wee dance of joy. Love mine. Am not a gadget queen and I've not paid for any apps. My fav freebie (used almost daily) is one of three variation on solitaire - addictive. Love being able to check mail and such on the go but only on free wifi (in Melb Magnation which sells great magazines has very generous free wifi) or with a good cheap data download plan. I like knowing the time and weather in New York when loved one was there recently. Lots of handy fun things that will keep you amused for days.

Thanks Ezra, Amanda and AOF, great advice. I have a heavy-duty rubber case for the outside, but I'll look out for a screen cover too. I know the value of those, we use them for our Gameboy DS consoles. I've enjoyed looking at all the applications, and restrained myself from getting a lightsabre app that works like Ezra's cowbell! Recipe for Bumblebee phone disaster, that one.

Crit, I have a $40 per month plan and I paid money for the phone up front, but it was on special so a lot cheaper than I'd expected.

I've written up the list of Apps I've got on mine at the moment. I thought about explaining every one of them, but I think you'll have a good enough time exploring the App Store. Let me just say that my absolute must-haves are Shazam (a music ID app) and WordWeb (a dictionary).

Thanks for the list, it's so much fun isn't it? mind you, the first bill might be a bit nasty, although I've just discovered a wifi hotspot accessible from my bedroom! Woot! Might not be so lucky travelling through the rural areas, but i've got an excellent wifinder app that promises good things...

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